7 St. Patrick's Day
Traditions Explained Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day,
but why are these traditions so significant? 1. St. Patrick Patrick was an Irish missionary who
was kidnapped as a child and
brought to Ireland. March 17 is
believed to be the day of his death. 2. The Green River
in Chicago The Chicago River has been
traditionally dyed green for over 50
years. The color green is derived
from the green strip in the Irish flag. 3. Parades The first St. Patrick’s Day parade
in the U.S. was in 1762. They allow
people to proudly celebrate their
Irish-American identity. 4. Shamrocks Shamrocks used to be worn by the
Irish in defiance of the ruling British
class and to represent kinship
among the native people. 5. Drinking Guinness This Irish stout is the drink
of choice on St. Patrick's Day,
with about 13 million pints
consumed on the holiday. 6. Leprechauns These little green men come from
8th century Irish folklore. They were
said to make shoes and wreck
havoc on unsuspecting humans. 7. Corned Beef
and Cabbage This tradition was begun by poor
Irish-Americans of the 19th century.
Corned beef and cabbage were
the affordable option.